Booting with "fromiso" - Overview

For normal use we recommend the ext4 file system. It is the default file system for sidux.

With this cheatcode you can start from an iso out of a partition ,(ext2/3/4), which is much faster then from a CD (HD installations with "fromiso" only takes a fraction of time).

'fromiso' is of course much faster then from the CD- /DVD-drive and keeps the drive available. As an alternative you could use virtualbox-ose or QEMU.

Requirements:

* a functioning grub (on a floppy, a HD-Installation or the Live-CD)
* a sidux ISO Image e.g.: sidux.iso and a Linux file system like ext2/3/4. (If you rename your image to sidux.ISO instead of sidux.iso you will need to alter the commands accordingly as a unix file naming system is case sensitive.)

fromiso with Grub2

sidux has provided a grub2 file named 60_fll-fromiso to generate a fromiso entry to the grub2 menu. The only file to configure fromiso is called grub2-fll-fromiso and is found in /etc/default/grub2-fll-fromiso..

First open a terminal and become root with:

sux
apt-get update
apt-get install grub2-fll-fromiso

Then open an editor, which may be kwrite, mcedit, vim or another that you prefer:

mcedit /etc/default/grub2-fll-fromiso

Next uncomment (remove the # ) the lines you need to be operative and replace the default instructions within the "quote marks" with your preferences.

For example, compare this altered grub2-fll-fromiso with the default, (the highlighted lines are the changed lines for instructional purposes):

# Defaults for grub2-fll-fromiso update-grub helper
# sourced by grub2's update-grub
# installed at /etc/default/grub2-fll-fromiso by the maintainer scripts

#
# This is a POSIX shell fragment
#

# specify where to look for the ISO
# default: /srv/ISO ### Note: This is the path to the directory that contains the ISO,
 it is not to include the actual sidux-*.iso file.###
FLL_GRUB2_ISO_LOCATION="/media/disk1part4/sidux-iso"


# array for defining ISO prefices --> sidux-*.iso
# default: "sidux- fullstory-"
FLL_GRUB2_ISO_PREFIX="sidux-"

# set default language
# default: en_US
FLL_GRUB2_LANG="en_AU"

# override the default timezone.
# default: UTC
FLL_GRUB2_TZ="Australia/Melbourne"

# kernel framebuffer resolution, see
# http://manual.sidux.com/de/cheatcodes-vga-de.htm#vga
# default: 791
#FLL_GRUB2_VGA="791"

# additional cheatcodes
# default: noeject
FLL_GRUB2_CHEATCODE="noeject nointro"

Save and close the editor, then run in the terminal

update-grub

Your grub2 grub.cfg will be updated to see the different ISOs you have placed in the directory you specified and will be available on your next boot up.

fromiso with grub-legacy

Process:

Choose a place for the iso and 2 files we need, so we get shorter names. Therefore create a base-directory: for example "/media/sdaX", (sda1 or, 2, or 5, or 6, or whatever, for example) create the directory "sidux" and copy the iso into it:

$ sux
mkdir -p /media/sdaX/sidux
mv sidux.iso /media/sdaX/sidux

Now mount the ISO image (Alternatively mc [midnight commander] can be used, as it transparently auto-mounts .iso files and lets you copy out the files needed.):

mount -t iso9660 -o loop,ro /media/sdaX/sidux/sidux.iso /mnt

Now copy the vmlinuz and initrd.img files from the mounted iso image to the directory and the HD is YOUR known variable::This is an example only :

cp /mnt/boot/vmlinuz0.686 /media/sda5/sidux/vmlinuz0.686
cp /mnt/boot/initrd0.686 /media/sda5/sidux/initrd0.686
umount /mnt

Next you have to customise grub. Therefore edit the file /boot/grub/menu.lst and add the following lines AFTER the ### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST: NOTE no wildcards on grub line for filenames allowed! The HD is YOUR known variable::This is an example only: 

### ISO boot
title sidux 32bit from ISO
kernel (hd0,4)/sidux/vmlinuz0.686 boot=fll quiet vga=791 fromiso=/sidux/sidux.iso
initrd (hd0,4)/sidux/initrd0.686

With next boot you have a new menu item in grub to start the iso image. Should you upgrade your sidux.iso, vmlinuz and intird.img files with later releases, grub's menu.lst does not need to be altered.

General information on fromiso with persist

fromiso and persist on a HD

You can have a persistent live system on a writable disc by combining a fromiso setup with the persist cheatcode. When the fromiso uses ext2/ext3/ext4 the default is simply:

persist

When the fromiso uses a vfat filesystem, then you must use a file that contains a linux filesystem and the cheatcode will look like:

persist=/sidux/sidux-rw

sidux uses aufs to enable what is known as "copy on write" over your ISO to allow you to write new files and folders and update existing ones by keeping the new files in memory. The persist cheatcode, will store your new files on the same hard drive partition as you use to store your fromiso ISO image.

fromiso gives you a live system which performs all the automatic features of the sidux live ISO. This has the benefit of doing things like automatically configuring the hardware but it also means that it will recreate the same files each time you boot up unless you use additional codes.

Using persist along with other sidux specific cheatcodes such as noxorgconf, nonetwork, means that it will not recreate the same files each time you boot up.

Using persist also means that you can install packages from apt and have the application and any data you have saved available for you to access at next boot up.

fromiso and persist on a bootable USB-sticks/SSD-cards

Perhaps the ideal use of persistence is in conjunction with the install-usb-gui tool to create your own bootable flash drive with your files and the software you need. Your files will be stored in a subfolder on the drive.

persist on a FAT filesystem, as commonly used for dos/Windows 9x installations and usually found by default on flash devices, requires you to create a single large file to use as a loop device, you then format this file.

On USB-sticks/SSD-cards, ext2 and vfat are the recommended file systems and most likely to give better cross platform ability for data rescue when needed most, as an MS Windows™ driver is available for data-swapping. Read/writes to flash type drives are contingent on the specifications of your USB stick.

ext2 file systems

With ext2 the full partition will be used, the current root is taken and a directory /fll is created which is used for the persist allowing the usage of all free place in the device for the persist system.

vfat file system

When vfat is used, persistance is made through a file that can be maximum 2GB but not less than 100MB (as it would be of no use). This file should be named sidux-rw.

Example of creating persist after initial installation

If you are not sure of the mount point, mount the stick and run ls -lh /media to provide a list of all your system mount points. Look for something like drwxr-xr-x 6 username root 4.0K Jan 1 1970 disk. If your output states differently then replace "/media/disk" in line with your requirement, (for example "/media/sdc1"):

disk="/media/disk"

Set the size of the persist partition:

size=1024

Make a directory on the stick:

mkdir $disk/sidux

Run the code to make the persist partition:

dd if=/dev/zero of=$disk/sidux/sidux-rw bs=1M count=$size &&  echo 'y' | LANG=C /sbin/mkfs.ext2 $disk/sidux/sidux-rw &&  tune2fs -c 0 "$disk/sidux/sidux-rw"

NTFS partitions, commonly used for Windows NT/2000/XP (TM) installations, CANNOT be used at all for persistence.

Installation of sidux on USB/SSD devices

To do an installation of sidux on a USB-stick/SSD-card is as easy as a normal HD-Install. Just follow this simple guideline.

Requirements:

Any PC that has a USB 2.0 protocol and supports booting from USB/SSD.

A sidux.iso image.

3 kinds of installation to USB/SSD

USB/SSD fromiso Installation, sidux-on-a-stick

Pre format your usb device with ext2 or fat32 before proceeding (at least a 2 gig capacity) . The device should have 1 partition only and as some BIOSes are temperamental this must be marked bootable.

If using a GUI formatting application like gparted, please ensure that you first delete the existing partition, then recreate the partition before formatting.

USB fromiso from a HD sidux installed system:

The fromiso USB installation is done through Menu>System>install-sidux-to-usb.

USB fromiso from a sidux-*.iso:

On a LIVE-CD click on sidux Installer Icon and choose Install to USB.

Options:

You are given the opportunity to make language, timezone and other bootcodes choices and whether or not to activate persist via a checkbox.

You now have a bootable USB/SSD. If you did not activate persist you are able to turn it on by adding persist on the grubline of the grub screen. (If vfat, it is probably best to start again though).

Terminal example:
 fll-iso2usb -D /dev/sdb -f none --iso /home/sidux/sidux.iso -p -- lang=no tz=Pacific/Auckland

This installs the iso image to the USB device sdb with persist, Norwegian language localisation and Pacific/Auckland (NZL) time on the grub default line.

Your X (video card, keyboard, mouse) configuration or your network interfaces file have not been stored, which makes it ideal to use on other computers.

For more documentation including customisation options see:

$ man fll-iso2usb

Full installation to a USB/SSD (behaves as normal HD installation)

The recommended mininmum size of a USB-stick/SSD-card is:
sidux "LITE" needs 2.5 gig PLUS you need data space,
sidux "FULL" needs 4 gig PLUS you need data space

Pre format your device with ext2 and partition the USB-stick/SSD-card as you would a standard PC.

Start the installation from the Live-ISO and choose the partition on the USB/SSD-device, where sidux is to be installed, for example sdbX and follow the sidux installer prompts. Read Installing to your HD

To boot from your USB/SSD 'Boot from USB' must be enabled in your BIOS.

Other note worthy points are:

Full installation to a USB Hard Disk Drive like an installation to a partition

A USB Hard Disk Drive has one quite good and appealing application, (particularly to new users coming from MS or another distro), and that is you can install sidux to a USB HDD, plug it in without needing to configure a PC for dual boot (repartitioning, grub alterations etcetera).

Start the installation from the Live-ISO, (or from a USB-stick/SSD-card), as a standard install, not a USB install and choose the partition on the device, where sidux is to be installed, for example sdbX and follow the sidux installer prompts. Grub must be written to the USB HDD partition.

Read Installing to your HD

Other note worthy points are:

Page last revised 10/04/2010 1415 UTC